"I'm sure if they were playing now, they wouldn't like the comments, as I didn't.

"What I did do was inform the players about what these people had been saying. I thought it was important they knew.

"Now it's down to ourselves to show those people out there that we've not got our flip-flops on."

With Fabicio Coloccini starting a three-match ban after Newcastle's appeal against his red card at Goodison Park was thrown out, Carver revealed he has just 13 fit senior outfield players to choose from this weekend.

"The good news is that I've not got a selection problem," he joked.

CRITICISM: Neville claimed that Newcastle were playing like they had their flip-flops on [GETTY]

"There's no sign of anyone coming back in the near future other than Mehdi Abeid who is a week or so away while we're working on Rolando Aarons.

"But everyone else is more or less long term.

"Losing Coloccini is a huge blow but there's no point moaning about it."

Carver will resist the temptation to blood some of the club's youngsters during the current injury crisis.

"I'd love to stick a couple of young lads in but I don't think it's the right environment against an in-form Arsenal side," he said.

"They were pretty impressive in Monaco this week so it wouldn't be right to throw them in now."